UHL

The BCHL added two new teams over the off season. Coquitlam and Salmon Arm are now in the league. Early on, both teams have posted wins. I guess the owners won`t have to become head coach like Don Cherry. For the first article of the new season here is a look at three players. One from the Prince George Spruce Kings and two from the Vernon Vipers.

Nick Binder(83) Vernon Vipers:Nick is a rookie in the BCHL but looks good. He plays right wing and has OK size. Nick looks like the type of player that coaches like.He plays his position and does it well. Being that he is a rookie nothing too fancy so far but this guy isn`t going to hurt you out there on the sheet. He has a point a game in the early going. With his solid two way play and if he keeps up the point pace he`ll earn a scholarship one day in the future.

David Morelli(83) Vernon Vipers:Morelli will attend Nebraska at Omaha next season and you can see why. He is only 5’10”-180 but this kid can power past players 40 pounds heavier than him. Not much bad you can say about Morelli. He can pass, skate, shoot. Dave plays center and has a bright future ahead of him. He is impressive He doesn`t take nights off and that`s why he has a scholarship before the season begins.

Ask Sherbrooke Castors Coach Jos Canale about Nicolas Corbeil and the one thing that becomes readily apparent is that despite his 5’11” 172 pound size he is not in the mold of what many believe to be the ‘typical’ Q forward: All speed and finesse, little gumption when it comes to the rough stuff. His coach readily admits that his pivot “likes taking runs at guys (and) will take the odd slashing or charging call.” A belligerent player who “can let (his) emotions detract from his play”, this very quality serves him well along the boards. Canale points out that Corbeil is “very good at (this aspect of the game). (He is) persistent, tough, and quick.” In front of the net the Leaf pick, is more of a “darter who slides into empty spots well and who has to keep his feet moving” which serves him well. While his shot from the top of the circle could improve he is “very handy close in.”

That being said his coach observes that “the things that got Nicolas drafted were his skating and passing ability. Skating is definitely a strength in his game. He has a good burst to the outside which he likes to use and also has a crossover move to the inside which he uses as well.” He ability with the puck similarly draws rave reviews from Canale. “Nicolas sees the ice well and puts the puck in good places where a teammate can use it immediately.” And while his charge can go after the home run occasionally the coach states unequivocally “I feel safe that if something bad happens with one of Nick’s passes it’s not going to be a scoring c Read more»

After sparkling in his first ever NHL action against the Detroit Red Wings last Monday, stopping 25 of 27 shots in about 30 minutes of action to earn a 3-2 win, Dan Blackburn followed that up with another excellent performance, this time against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.

The game was a significant one to begin with, considering that it was the first major sporting event played in New York since the terrorists attacks took place a week before. With all the pre-game ceremonies finished, it was time to drop the puck. Eric Lindros was making his first appearance as a New York Ranger, and Brian Leetch also saw action for the first time this pre-season. For New Jersey, their lineup consisted of a lot of rookies and hopefuls, as Patrik Elias, Petr Sykora, Jason Arnott, Martin Brodeur and Scott Stevens were some of the players who did not suit up for the contest.

Blackburn had a solid game, stopping 15 of 16 shots before being relieved in the middle of the second period by Johan Holmqvist. Blackburn played a poised, focused game and showed flashes of what to expect in the future. He robbed one of the Devils on a point blank shot with his glove, flashing it in the air kinda like Patrick Roy. He did a good keeping the Rangers in the game early, as the Devils put on a lot of pressure in the offensive zone and were awarded for their efforts as the Rangers took two penalties, leading to a 5 on 3 advantage for New Jersey. Blackburn turned away everything that was thrown at him, and wasn’t beaten until the 2nd period when Read more»

With 13 days to go until the start of the 66th seasonof AHL hockey, things are beginning to take shape.This past week, in the Southern Division alone, anumber of developments went down. From rookie/prospectgames to Mario Lemieux demoting himself to the minors(huh?), it’s been an interesting week.

Let’s take a closer look…

“Minor” Mario?

O.K., so that thing about Lemieux sending himselfto the minors was a little misleading. Still, it’ssomething I never thought I’d be typing. “Lemieux” and“minors” just do not belong in the same sentence.Anyway, for those who haven’t heard, Mario Lemieuxwill be playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguinsin an exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Penguinson Saturday night at the First Union Arena inWilkes-Barre, PA.

Lemieux will wear three different jerseys (onefor each period), each of which will be auctioned offafter the game. Proceeds will be donated to variouscharitable causes, including the Twin Towers Fund.

You may recall Wayne Gretzky doing a similarthing a few years back. During his time with the LosAngeles Kings, the “Great One” suited up for the IHL’sPhoenix Roadrunners in an exhibition game versus L.A.

For the record, Lemieux has never appeared in aminor league game. He jumped straight from the juniorranks (QMJHL) to the NHL after being selected with theRead more»

Just a year ago, it would be complex to speculate about the future of certain young blueliners. In fact, young defensemen have it the worst; it is, arguably, the hardest position to learn and, more often than not, it requires physical prowess as well as skill to master. Ask any hockey enthusiast, and he or she will probably tell you that defensemen take longer to develop, unlike forwards. Very seldom does one see a 19-year old OHL star quarterback an NHL team the very next year. More often that not, it takes a blueliner several years in the big leagues to truly achieve expected potential. Take Chris Pronger, for example; he stumbled at first, and was losing confidence. After several years of development, Chris found his niche as a tough, big-hitting, physical force and eventually built up a further offensive flavour to his game.

Keeping that in mind, it is never easy to foresee success of young hockey players, especially blueliners. This season’s crop of young defensemen, features a pack of hopefuls of different ages, styles and expectations. However, it might seem shocking just how much NHL teams will rely on talented defensively-capable youngsters today. This year, it seems like the story of “out with the old, and in with the new”, as younger, gifted players will be given the chance to take on major roles with their respective teams.

Last year, a group of young blueliners had undergone breakthrough years. Notably, Ed Jovanovski achieved all-star status with a 47 Read more»